John Dorney

Independent historian

John Dorney is an independent historian, editor of The Irish Story website and author of Peace After the Final Battle the Story of the Irish Revolution (2014) and The Civil War in Dublin, the Fight for the Irish Capital (2017)..jpeg

A cartoon by Constance Markievicz, showing the death of Cathal Brugha in the Battle of Dublin. Image courtesy of the National Library of Ireland

Buried quietly: the republican dead of the Civil War

They were slightly older, a little better off and more often of rural origin than their pro-Treaty counterparts. And in later years their memories became part of the official narrative of independence, as John Dorney explains.

Civil War Fatalities • 28 Mar 24

Cathal Brugha's funeral at Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin on 10 July 1922. Image © RTÉ Photographic Archive

The deadliest county: Civil War fatalities in Dublin

More people were killed in Dublin than in any other county during the Civil War. But as John Dorney explains, the figures may overstate the capital's role in the conflict.

Civil War Fatalities • 28 Mar 24

A crowd of Dubliners gather at the quayside to watch the siege of the Four Courts on the other side of the Liffey. Photo: Walshe/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

Why the Four Courts?

In April 1922, anti-Treaty IRA men occupied the Four Courts in the centre of Dublin. Why did they take this step, and what was the public and military response? John Dorney explains.

Battle of Dublin • 24 Jun 22

British soldiers on Amiens Street, Dublin, in front of what is now Connolly Station

Crown forces and urban guerillas: Dublin as a theatre of war

Between 1919 and 1921, the IRA campaign in Dublin didn't aim to remove the British forces from the city, but to force them to behave as an occupying army. John Dorney tells the story of Dublin's war

Custom House Fire • 24 May 21

A photo claimed to be of the "Cairo gang" of British agents

The deadly toll of the Bloody Sunday assassinations

'If shell shock existed in the IRA ... the place to look for it was among these men.' The targeted killing of British forces on Bloody Sunday was "a gruesome rite of passage" for the men who took part.

Bloody Sunday • 11 Nov 20